1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Digital TV and was developed in the context of the Digital TV Application Software Environment (DASE), also known as ATSC/S17. It presents a new method and apparatus for decoupling the TV display presentation from real-time broadcasted audio, video, and data, both streaming (i.e., live) and non-streaming (i.e., recorded) signals.
2. Background
Displaying a Digital TV broadcast requires assembly and fusion of data from numerous sources. In particular, using prior art techniques, each combination of streaming and non-streaming video, audio, and data requires creating and adapting scenario specific code. For example, to synchronize the display of streaming (i.e. live) video with streaming data, such as is commonly found in financial news broadcasts as analysts' interviews are presented simultaneously with stock ticker symbols, software code must be developed that anticipates such a combination.
Synchronization of the above combination is significantly different than with other combinations, such as synchronizing the display of non-streaming (i.e. recorded) video with streaming data. In this instance, an entirely separate data structure must be created containing software code that enables the simultaneous viewing of such information. An example of where non-streaming video is simultaneously broadcast with streaming data might arise where a live auction channel presents a popular annual auction event, in which multiple articles are presented for sale. The broadcast contains a streaming data portion that presents the up-to-date prices of numerous articles being auctioned, with a delay of at most three seconds. In addition, the broadcast provides numerous non-streaming video portions that might provide views of an article from different angles, that might show the article in action, or that might provide close-up views of the article to enable the viewer to see special identifiable markers or features that enhance the value of the article. In addition, the broadcast could provide a live streaming video portion, broadcasted from the auction site, featuring expert interpretations and opinions.
In the above scenario, technical difficulties arise when the viewer wishes to, or possibly out of necessity, pause the broadcast and later replay one of the portions, such as a streaming or non-streaming video portion, while at the same time maintaining up-to-date display of the streaming pricing data. In prior art devices, to pause a broadcast, or streaming video portion, for later viewing requires storage of the streaming video. This has been accomplished using, for example, a cyclical buffer, wherein a user may subsequently retrieve the stored streaming or non-streaming data for purposes of replay. While the user is retrieving the stored data, at the same time, the live data stream must be continuously displayed without passing through a temporary storage cyclical buffer in order to maintain the display of the up-to-date streaming data information. Upon switching to a different article, both video and data stream displays must be switched and updated, while maintaining synchronization.
Another issue arises in the technical difficulty involved in providing the full script processing functionality required to support interactive Digital TV. As is common in web-browsers, a client-side script can be embedded within a web-page. This script has access to, and may sometime modify, the content of the viewable web-page to allow for such things as the change of the layout, or to draw boxes around focused links, etc. This significantly enriches the functionality of a page, as it renders the page interactive. By doing so, graphic menus, tooltips, automatic form filling, form input verification, etc., are enabled.
ECMAScript is the Digital TV parallel of web-page scripts. The problem is, however, the difficulty in synchronizing the access by the ECMA Script to, and subsequent display of, complex streaming and non-streaming broadcast information, such as illustrated in the above live-auction example.
Moreover, known prior art devices and systems address video storage issues, which enable providing pause-and-reply functionality. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,118,931 discloses a video storage method that allows for the physical locations of the disks within the array to be changed while maintaining correct alignment of the stripes making up each image frame.
U.S. Pat. No. Re 36,801 discloses a broadcast recording and playback device employing a “circular buffer” which constantly records one or more incoming audio or video program signals and a microprocessor for accessing the memory to read a playback signal from the circular buffer to display programming material delayed from its receipt by a selectable delay interval. The audio/video buffer system operates under the control of a microprocessor, which accepts commands from a remote command device or a connected host computer.
Typical prior art use of a proxy system addresses the encapsulation of data routing services. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,549 discloses a typical prior art use of proxy as a method of communicating messages across a network. A router receives an RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol) PATH message from a sending host that is directed to a receiving host. Upon identifying the protocol of the incoming PATH message as RSVP, the router accesses a proxy look-up table to identify a proxy host acting on behalf of the receiving host. The proxy host receives the PATH message and, in response, sends a resource reservation request (RESV) message onto the network with a proxy header and directed to the predetermined port.
Known prior art that addresses quality-of-service issues focuses on workload balancing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,174 discloses a workload distribution method that determines whether a data storage system satisfies a quality-of-service guarantee desired by a client. The quality-of-service guarantee may be a predetermined percentage of a workload being serviced by a device within a predetermined response time.
While the prior art technology does provide many advantages, it is not without several inherent disadvantages. This is particularly true in the context of providing synchronized display of streaming and non-streaming broadcast information in an efficient and streamlined manner such that the display of such broadcast information is fully utilized. Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for assembling all of the available content information within a network environment such that any content information may be simultaneously displayed with any other content information. Specifically, what is needed is a system and method whereby fusion of data is achieved such that, upon fusion, all information components and particularly the information contained therein, may be encapsulated and stored in a common database for subsequent retrieval. Without the existence of such a database, the assembly of information cannot be streamlined and encapsulated.